In today’s news that you definitely need to text your dad immediately,The AmericansstarMatthew Rhyshas been cast as the lead of HBO’sPerry Masonlimited series. A remake of the long-running legal drama starringRaymond Burr, HBO’s update will serve as an origin story of sorts for the title defense attorney as he navigates 1930s Los Angeles as a private investigator. The character is alsoreportedly"haunted by his wartime experiences in France and is suffering the effects of a broken marriage," so this will all be a ton of fun.
The remake—which is scheduled to go into production as soon as the network lands a director—is written and executive-produced byRolin Jones(The Exorcist) andRon Fitzgerald(Westworld), who will also serve as showrunner.Robert Downey Jr.is also onboard as producer. TheAvengers:Infinity Warstarwas originally slated to take on the lead role in the project himself back in 2016 whenTrue DetectivecreatorNic Pizzolattowas still writing the project, but Downey Jr.’s film commitments and Pizzolatto’s renewed focus onTrue Detectiveseason 3 led the network to Rhys' door.
Rhys is coming straight off his first Emmy win for season 6 ofThe Americans, which marked the end for FX’s critically acclaimed spy drama.
Here is the official synopsis for HBO’sPerry Masonmini-series:
1932, Los Angeles. While the rest of the country recovers from the Great Depression, this city is booming! Oil! Olympic Games! Talking Pictures! Evangelical Fervor! And a child kidnapping gone very, very wrong! Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner, this limited series follows the origins of American Fiction’s most legendary criminal defense lawyer, Perry Mason. When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason’s relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and just maybe, a pathway to redemption for himself.
